Networked computer systems may include a number of homogenous or heterogeneous data sources that are configured to capture, transmit and store information or data of various types or forms in one or more data stores. For example, information or data may be captured using one or more data sources such as imaging devices (e.g., digital cameras which capture still or moving images and other information), microphones, routers or other components, and transmitted over a wireless or wired network infrastructure to one or more data stores, which may include databases (e.g., relational or distributed databases) or other file systems that may be provided in one or more discrete locations, or distributed throughout the network infrastructure.
Today, processes for capturing, transmitting and storing information or data within a networked computer system are substantially linear in nature. More specifically, information or data that is captured by a single data source is typically transmitted to a predetermined or randomly selected data store for storage. Once the information or data is digitally housed within the data store, the information or data may be identified for analysis according to one or more processing methods or techniques, recalled and transmitted to another computer device or data store for further storage, backup or review, or deleted therefrom. Thus, the information or data that is captured by one or more of the various data sources in a networked computer system may generally be characterized as either residing on a data store, or in transit from a data source or a data store to another data store.
Processes for capturing, transmitting and storing information or data may be subjected to a number of hardware limitations or constraints. For example, where the capacity of the various data sources (e.g., imaging devices, microphones or other components) to capture information or data exceeds the bandwidth of a network to accommodate its transfer, a figurative limit may be placed on the volume of the information or data that can be captured by such devices. Additionally, data stores are limited in the volume or amount of information or data that they may safely store therein. When the volume or amount of information or data maintained within a networked computer system approaches a limit, at least some of the information or data must be archived or deleted in order to accommodate newer or more recent data. This concern is particularly acute where information or data is captured by a number of data sources in a network at substantially constant rates (e.g., imaging data captured from an environment by a plurality of imaging devices at streaming rates defined by the desired levels of resolution of the imaging data). Moreover, repetitive writing and rewriting of information or data onto components of a hard drive or other data storage unit may cause wear on such components, and otherwise limit the useful life of the storage unit.
Imaging devices such as video cameras may capture and record still or moving images in digital computer-based files that may be stored in one or more hard drives, servers or other non-transitory computer-readable media. While files including imaging data may be individually captured and stored with relative ease, where a large number of cameras are provided in order to monitor various aspects of a particular space, location or facility, the amount of digital storage capacity and computer processing power that is required in order to centrally analyze, index and store such files for any relevant purpose may be overwhelming. Where a facility such as a warehouse or an airport provides a large array of digital cameras for surveillance or monitoring operations, such cameras may capture and store over a petabyte (or a million gigabytes) of video data from such cameras each day.